Sunday, July 31, 2011

Canning Cole Slaw...delicious Cabbage for My Gardner Guy


Cole slaw to can or freeze

INGREDIENTS

1 large head cabbage
1 large carrot, I love color so I used 2 carrots
1 green pepper, red, yellow, purple or orange...
1 small onion
1 teaspoon salt

SYRUP

1 cup vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon celery seeds or less if desired
1 teaspoon mustard seeds or less if desired
Using less of celery seed and mustard allows you to use this canned slaw in a variety of ways...

Shred together vegetables. Add the salt.

Let stand 1 hour. Drain
water from vegetables.




Boil syrup ingredients together for 1 minute, cool.
Fill jars with cole slaw mixture allowing head space
Add syrup to vegetables
Seal jars and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes, or put into freezer containers and freeze.




Open and eat as is or if you like a creamy slaw... use one quart of slaw, mix in small bowl the following 1/4 to 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, ground pepper to taste, depending on your taste you may want a bit of vinegar added, apple cider or rice vinegar works great, mix well and pour over slaw mixture. I also add raisins....this is delicious and so wonderful to have on hand in the pantry on the shelf!!!

Happy Canning....
Georgie

Now try this....

Mexican Lime & Cilantro Coleslaw

1 quart jar of canned or thaw frozen slaw/ drained
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro or less
1/4 to 1/2 cup cup mayonnaise
1 tsp fresh lime juice or juice from 1/2 of a small lime
red or green Tabasco sauce to taste
1/4 tsp salt ( or to taste)
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper (or to taste)

Combine cole slaw mix, green onions and cilantro.

In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lime juice, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings. Mix dressing into cabbage mixture.

Serve immediately, or chill for a few hours


Ramon Coleslaw

Ingredients

1 quart jar of canned or thaw frozen slaw
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (3 ounce) package chicken flavored Ramon noodles, crushed, seasoning packet reserved
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 green onions, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, drained liquid from canned or frozen slaw, Ramon noodle, seasoning packet, salt and pepper to create a dressing.
3. Place sesame seeds and almonds in a single layer on a medium baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven 10 minutes, or until lightly brown.
4. In a large salad bowl, combine the cabbage, green onions and crushed Ramon noodles. Pour dressing over the cabbage, and toss to coat evenly. Top with toasted sesame seeds and almonds.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Garlic...Garlic...and more Garlic and one more day until kitchen demolition!!!




I have been busy getting stuff done so before we tear out the old kitchen and build the new one....Don't you love My Gardener Guy's garlic...

Canning fresh garlic cloves is an effective way of preserving them for a long period of time....




Instructions

Things You'll Need
1 water bath canner or steam canner
12 large garlic heads
1 large pot
3 cups white vinegar with 5 percent acidity
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pickling salt
10 half pint jars including lids and rings


1. Sterilize and clean the jars by either running them through a cycle in the dishwasher or by placing them in a pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes.


2. Remove garlic cloves from heads and peel off the outer layers. Rinse peeled cloves under cold water.


3. In the large pot, combine the vinegar, salt and sugar and bring to a boil. Add the peeled garlic cloves and let them boil for about one minute. Remove the pot from the heat.


4. Place the garlic cloves into the jars, making sure to leave about 3/4 inch at the top. Pour the pickling liquid over the cloves into the jars, leaving up to 1/2 inch of room at the top.


5. Place lids on the jars, then place the jars into the canner. Make sure that the water is at least 1 to 2 inches above the tops of the jars if using a water bath canner.


6. Cover the canner and bring the water to a boil. Process the jars in the boiling water for about 10 minutes.

I am going to enjoy cooking with this garlic come fall and winter!!!

Monday, July 25, 2011

My Gardner Guy and his sexy carrots...Coming home to a full Counter of garden stuff....

My Gardener Guys sexy carrots!!!

A bit sexy...don't you think???...
Our Octopus carrots...

My Garden Guy has left the kitchen counter full again!!!
I have been canning green beans, zucchini relish, and pesto!!! More to come on Green beans...

Thursday, July 14, 2011

A Summer Chicken Fruit Salad and Yummy Dessert for My Gardner Guy tonight!!!

My sweet Gardner Guy mows a few yards on the side. He says it helps support his Hamburger habit. Tonight before he headed out I thought a delicious cool summer salad would be good for dinner. He likes it....and I like it when he likes it...
Oh and we had Dessert, no we did not eat the dessert first but it was so pretty that I decided it needed to be posted first:)

Yummy Orange Rhubarb Marmalade Cream Cheese Bars....yum, yum, yummy...(recipe below picture)



Ingredients

3/4 cup of butter, softened
3/4 cup of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 cups of flour
1 1/3 cups of pecans or walnuts
12 Oz's. cream cheese softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups of My Gardner Guys Orange Rhubarb Marmalade or any Orange Marmalade

Directions

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees
2. Butter a 9 x 13 inch pan
3. Beat together butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy
4. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time allowing batter to get well blended each time
5. Stir in 1 cup of nuts and please note your mixture will be some what crumbly
6. Set aside 1/3 of the nuts and 1 cup of your crumbly mixture for the topping
7. Press remaining mixture in the bottom of the buttered pan. Bake 15 minutes. Cool
8. Beat cream cheese in large mixing bowl until smooth
9. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition
10. Add vanilla and 3/4 cup of marmalade
11. Spread the cooled cookie base with the remaining 3/4 cup of marmalade and then crumbly mixture
12. Pour cream cheese mixture over the top, spreading evenly
13. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup of nuts
14. Bake 20-25 minutes or until the center looks set
15. Sometimes I add powdered sugar to the top just for decoration
16. Cool before serving....


Summer Chicken Fruit Salad (recipe below picture)



Ingredients

3 cups cooked brown or white rice, cooled
2 cups of chopped grilled chicken
1 grilled Banana, sliced
1 red apple or any apple (red adds good color) cored and chopped
2/3 cup of crasins, rasins or dried cherries
1 cup of red or green grapes
3/4 cup of sliced celery
2-3 green salad onions diced
6-8 Oz's. of peach yogurt (can use vanilla or plain yogurt add peach puree for flavor) This is what I do as I can my own peach puree
2 Tbsp- of Orange Rhubarb Marmalade (I use My Gardner Guys brand) you can use just Orange Marmalade...But trust me My Gardner Guy's Orange Marmalade is great!!!
1 tsp. grated orange peel
Nutmeg to taste...

Directions

1. Combine rice, chicken, grilled bananas, apples, rasins, crasins or dried cherries, grapes, celery and onions in a large bowl. I hold the banana to the side and mix in last carefully as grilling them not only brings out their delicious flavor but they tend to get mushy...
2. Stir together yogurt, marmalade and orange peel.
3. Stir into rice mixture, carefully fold in grilled banana.
4. I like to chill this salad before serving...Can sprinkle on a little nutmeg to taste.

Notes: When grilling bananas cut in half then slice each half up the center length wise. Grill with skin on banana side face down.


These are great recipes to use for Marmalade lovers...Some say if life gives you lemons make lemonade. I say if life gives you lemons try Orange Rhubarb Marmalade!!!
See the following Link below for a recipe to make your own Orange Rhubarb Marmalade...My Gardner Guy...Grow, Create, Cook and Eat...: A treat for My Gardener Guy!!! Sweet Orange Rhubarb Marmalade and Barbecue Sauce...

Georgie

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Getting closer to the Kitchen Transformation!!!

This is a before shot of my existing kitchen and dining area...Today I meet with a contractor and hopefully in a week or so we will be able to start.



Do you want to see what I'm going for...well it's a work in process but I have a few pics that will give you a general idea...Tell me which look you like...
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Monday, July 11, 2011

Back to the Kitchen and Thankful for the Garden...Spearmint leaves are wonderful.... kind of like my Gardener Guy!!!


Avery Mae and I (Grandma Grandest) getting ready to hike Ensign Peak!!!
For the past few weeks I have been Heavenly involved in the role of being a Grandmother. Some might not enjoy this role as I do. When I was eleven my Mother passed away due to cancer. I dearly missed having her around in my life and in my children's life. I looked forward to my own Children and Grandchildren and being all that I could as a Mother and Grandmother...I cherish it. Yesterday Avery Mae left my home to head back to Las Vegas (my home town). We had a great time seeing some sites of Salt Lake, I am looking forward to blogging about our many adventures. She will be missed as I miss all my kids. My move to Farmington has been good, being away from my children has been hard. Visits from them and traveling to see them are greatly adored.

My Monday started in the Garden picking raspberries, and spearmint leaves....

Did you notice I got a new Camera and I signed up for some camera classes!!!


I think a glass of Spearmint Tea will be refreshing today...
Because I want some tea now I will use the fresh leaves and let some steep in a pan of hot water. I will also dry some for my making my own tea blend and tea bags.

Last year at this time I fell in love with the many uses of Spearmint...at my
Sons wedding luncheon I decorated all the desserts or many of them with beautiful spearmint leaves....

Kyle's wedding luncheon...


Spearmint leaves makes desserts so pretty....a very nice garnish indeed!!!


Making tea from freshly cut herbs from your own yard is an easy and self rewarding task. The most commonly used herbs are Peppermint and Spearmint. Both of these herbs are extremely easy to grow and usually provide more than enough leaves for making tea many times throughout the year. Just about any herb you grow can be brewed into a delicious tea. I am trying to get myself in a better habit of drinking teas instead of Diet Coke. (Healthy teas, no caffeine)

First you pick the spearmint ...or if you have some peppermint is good. Cut the stem off close to the ground leaving at least two sets of leaves on each stem so your plant will continue to grow or select only the tender new leaves at the top of the plant.



Separate the leaf from the stem, avoid yellowish or spotted damaged leaves and next wash the leaves...


If you have a salad spinner, spin off the excess water...if not shake off the excess water.


Other herbs that can be use are Sage leaf, Chamomile flower, Rosemary leaf, Lemon Balm leaf, and of course Peppermint leaf. A simple hint, starting with one herb as your primary flavor and throwing in a little bit of another herb can create an interesting tasting tea. For example start with mostly Peppermint leaves and add a bit of Sage leaves or try adding the petals from a rose. It is always fun to experiment...

Herb teas made from fresh herbs tend to be a bit weaker tasting than those made from dried herbs. It helps to gather more herbs than you think you'll need and then actually use all of it that way my tea will have the stronger flavor, you can always add more water. I suggest gathering enough herb to make at least a pot of tea (about 4-6 cups). It helps if you can take the same pot you’re going to brew your tea in (or a bowl about the same size) out to the garden with you then cut enough herbs to fill the pot about 3/4 full. If possible cut your herbs in the morning to ensure the best flavor.

Put herb leaves in a pot and add just enough water to cover the herbs. Use a long spoon to carefully bruise the herb by pressing the spoon into the herb against the sides of the pot. Allow water to come to a slow boil, then turn off the heat and allow herbs to steep for up to a half hour.


Strain the tea through a mesh strainer or colander. If you have a tea steeper use it for dried leaves or your tea bags, just add boiling water and allow you tea to steep about a 1/2 hour. Pour into a container of storage, a pot of tea can be refrigerated for about five days.
This is my Tea Steeper I use for small batches, dried herbs or tea bags. These kind of tea steeper's come in many sizes, shapes and you can find them pretty easy.

The leaves extra fresh leaves that I will not use today I will allow to dry...it will take a few days. When they are dry I will make my own tea bags so I can enjoy this tea all year. You can also just store the leaves in a large glass jar and steep just the leaves.

Chill and enjoy...I am going outside for awhile....drinking some cold spearmint tea and enjoying the sounds of summer...You can sweeten your tea with any kind of sweetners....I try to drink it sugar free, less calories, but my favorite is making a simple mint syrup. I use 1 1/2 cups of steep spearmint tea and 2 cups of sugar. Bring this to a slow boil and allow to thicken. This syrup can be put up in a canning jar using the hot water bath method processing for it for 10 minutes. Mix in what you like as it's all a personal preference thing....But Enjoy It!!!


Spearmint Simple Syrup...

" For additional uses for Dried Mint Leaves as well as some recipes see the following link...
http://www.ehow.com/list_5982651_uses-dr... A serving of dried mint leaves provides you more fiber, vitamins and minerals than a serving of fresh mint leaves, but the benefits of mint extend beyond its nutritional..."
http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/Horticulture_Garden_2009-05pr.pdf

Health benefits of spearmint

■Spearmint is pleasantly aromatic herb packed with numerous health benefiting vitamins, antioxidants and phyto-nutrients.

■The leaves and herb parts contain essential oil menthol. However, unlike in peppermint, spearmint does not contain high amounts of menthol (0.5% compared to the 40% in peppermint), making it least pungent and subtly fragrant herb in mint family.

■The herb has low calories (about 43 cal per 100 g) and contains zero cholesterol.

■The chief essential oil in spearmint is menthol. Other important chemical components of spearmint are α-pinene, β-pinene, carvone, cineole, linalool, limonene, myrcene and caryophyllene. These compounds in mint help relieve fatigue and stress.

■The herb parts are also very good in minerals like potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, and magnesium. Iron is required for enzymes in cellular metabolism and synthesis of hemoglobin. Potassium in an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase.

■It is also rich in many antioxidant vitamins including vitamin A (provides 4054 IU or 135% of RDA), beta carotene, vitamin C, folates (26% of RDA), vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), riboflavin and thiamin.

Medicinal uses

Almost all parts of mint herb found place in various traditional as well in modern medicine.
■The herb decoction is an excellent remedy for minor ailments such as headaches, nervous strain, fatigue and stress, as well as for the respiratory problems; helping with asthma, bronchitis and catarrh.

■It is very useful to deal with digestive problems including nausea, flatulence and hiccups as it relaxes the stomach muscles.

■The essential oil, menthol, also has analgesic, local anaesthetic and counterirritant properties. Used in toothpaste and mouth refresheners.

■On the skin, when used as cream or lotion, it may help relieve the itching of pruritis, dermatitis and hives.

■Used as blended massage oil or in the aromatic therapy spearmint oil helps with headaches, stress, fatigue, and nervous conditions and to relieve itching.

■Spearmint tea can be used safely in pregnancy. In women, it helps reduce unwanted hairs through its anti-androgenic properties.

Friday, July 8, 2011

July 4th Hamburgers for My Gardner Guy....


Strawberry Rhubarb pie makes a great July 4th treat, especially with vanilla ice cream!!! This is a picture from Family Fun....I thought it would be a perfect way to make my Rhubarb pie this year....sorry my camera is broke...but you get the idea right!!! I made three of these two for us and one for Aunt Trudy...They were beautiful and patriotic.
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Link
My Gardner Guy...Grow, Create, Cook and Eat...: Rhubarb (the Pie Plant): "My Gardner Guy has left Rhubarb on my kitchen table...

As I stated in my last post I have been wrapped up in plans to remodel my kitchen. I also have been enjoying the company of my daughters and grand critters. Though it has been hectic with all that is going on we took the time to enjoy our July 4th with family and some tasty hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, strawberry rhubarb pie, root beer floats.....parades, fireworks and water fun!!!

I finally got a chance to test out the rhubarb barbecue sauce in My Gardner Guys hamburgers. Forgive me for not posting pictures of our great food...a week of fun, and oops... my camera is not working after a water mishap. But this is what I did.... I added about a cup of my rhubarb sauce, 1/8 cup of Worcestershire sauce, one medium/large onion, salt and pepper to 3- 4 lbs of meat. He likes it....I like it when he likes it...

Tip: Instead of Mayonnaise and Mustard as a garnish or spread try using cream cheese and mix in some sliced jalapeno peppers...

Barbecue Sauce Link
My Gardner Guy...Grow, Create, Cook and Eat...: A treat for My Gardener Guy!!! Sweet Marmalade and Barbecue Sauce ...:

Loving mashed potatoes the Irish Way!!!

You can use kale instead of cabbage, but I personally prefer the softer and sweeter taste of cabbage. Colcannon is traditionally topped with...